MIAMI, Dec 1 — Carnival Cruise Lines has launched the new â€œFunvilleâ€ Web experience at www.carnival.com/funville which is designed to evoke the lineâ€™s unique brand of â€œfun,â€ with images and video from recent Guinness World Record achievements for the worldâ€™s largest beach ball and piÃ±ata, on-line games and a series of videos featuring the lineâ€™s signature towel animals.

â€œA Carnival vacation is like no other, and this new Web experience truly captures the essence of our brand and reinforces the feeling of spontaneous and unscripted fun that guests enjoy while sailing aboard the â€˜Fun Ships,â€™â€ said Ruben Rodriguez, Carnivalâ€™s executive vice president of marketing and guest experience.

â€œTowel Animal Theatreâ€ serves as the centerpiece to the interactive Web destination and features nine different vignettes depicting towel animals engaged in amusing conversations with each other while the stateroomâ€™s occupants are away. In the whimsical videos, towel animals such as swans and monkeys interact using offbeat, light-hearted dialogue that conveys the spirit of fun on a Carnival cruise. â€œTowel Animal Theatreâ€ has become quite popular with several million views on various on-line channels and social networking sites. The www.carnival.com/funville site also includes instructions for visitors to make their own towel animals at home.

Also featured within the site are photos and video footage from Carnivalâ€™s â€œFun Crowdâ€ events during which the line broke records for the worldâ€™s largest beach ball, a massive sphere dropped from a building in downtown Dallas, and the worldâ€™s largest piÃ±ata, which was filled with eight tons of candy in Philadelphia. Footage from the events is being used to create two television commercials that will soon begin airing nationally.

In addition, there is an online game tied to the beach ball theme, as well as a â€œhollerbackâ€ function that enables users to submit suggestions for Carnivalâ€™s next fun event. Over the next several weeks, â€œFunvilleâ€ will evolve to include additional â€œFun Crowdâ€ event videos, Carnivalâ€™s new TV spots, additional on-line games and other unscripted surprises for visitors to the site. Links to various features of a Carnival cruise vacation, including on-board activities, dining and youth programs, also are included.

Carnival is the largest and most popular cruise line in the world, with 22 â€œFun Shipsâ€ operating voyages ranging from three to 18 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Europe, Bermuda and South America. The line currently has two new ships scheduled for delivery between now and 2011. For additional information and reservations on the â€œFun Shipâ€ vacation experience, call 1-800-327-9501.

Suzanne Klasen – Cruise Arizona

Hi! I am Suzanne Klasen, an Independent Vacation Specialist with CruiseOne. You may also know me from cruise sites and forums as Cruise Arizona. Along with my husband Steve (aka Mr Papa), we have combined our love of cruising with computer skills to bring you a very informative and entertaining site that we hope will help you plan your next vacation. Read More About Suzanne